McGinnis: It’s Jeffy McG

Prepare yourselves for a shattering confession: I hated, hated, hated the name Jeffy McG when I was first called it on 92.5 KISS FM. Absolutely loathed it.

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There is a heavy dose of irony in the fact that I came to be known by this moniker at all. All my life, I’ve been pretty resistant to nicknames. Not in a standoffish way, really, though I’ve never particularly sought out a nickname of any sort. I’m more like nickname Teflon. Whenever someone would try to coin a new way to address me, the universe seemed to kick any such attempts to the curb. Nope, he’s Jeff. End of rather boring story.

A few individuals persisted, though. When you’re a kid named Jeff, most everyone tries their hand at calling you “Jeffy” once or twice. I never cared for it when my age was in single digits, and I certainly didn’t care for it any more once I crossed the double digit threshold. “Jeffy” just always felt so annoyingly condescending, even when I was at an age when everyone was quite justified in being condescending toward me.

By the time my high school journalism teacher insisted upon addressing me by the little better “Jeffrey!” — an homage to that famous Bill Cosby bit, years before referencing Cosby would become tasteless — I had worn through all patience for any variation of my name with a “y” on the end.

When I made it to college, most of my friends seemed to find my normal, everyday name perfectly acceptable, with one exception. A pal from the theater crowd seemed insistent on foisting the name “McG” upon me, as an homage to the director behind such titles as “Charlie’s Angels” and “Terminator: Salvation.”

I found this title even more repugnant than any variation on “Jeffy” my youth had foisted upon me. “McG” sounded simultaneously pretentious and lowbrow, however that might work.

So I largely remained my normal, non-nicknamed self until a little under five years ago, when my then-boss, Michael S. Miller, took me to a meeting with the then-host of the 92.5 morning show, Andrew Zepeda. They were looking for someone to act as the “American Idol” correspondent on the show, a position of some prominence since that was the year that Northwest Ohio native Crystal Bowersox was competing.

As we sat breaking bread and chatting about the specifics of the position, it all seemed to be going quite well. Zepeda said he felt his audience would “love” me, and when you’re still the amateur that I felt like, that’s an amazing high. As such, I barely even noticed the next sentence that came out of his mouth: “I think we’re going to call you ‘Jeffy McG.’”

And so it was. The sheer weight of the irony didn’t hit me until I was driving home — I would now be known to thousands of radio listeners by a moniker merging two different nicknames I absolutely detested. But oh well, I thought. It’s just a name. And I’m sure after a while it’ll fade away, and I’ll go back to my own name.

Cut to five years and a few hundred appearances on 92.5 later. I have been referred to as “Jeff McGinnis” exactly once in all that time, and that was my very first appearance. In the minds of thousands of listeners, I am now — rather permanently, I suspect — Jeffy McG.

The thing is, though, I don’t mind at all anymore. It’s remarkable what you can get used to in a name, I guess. To the majority of people who recognize my voice in “real life,” I’m not “Jeffy McG,” anyway, nor am I even “Jeff McGinnis” — I’m “That Guy from the Radio.” I never knew I had such a memorable voice until people would pick up on who I was after I said nothing more than “Thank you,” or “Could I have an order of McNuggets, please?”

I’ll never forget one encounter, though. I was at my day job, at the movie theater at Levis Commons. It had been a particularly horrible day and I was feeling every minute of the time between myself and the end of my shift. I sold a pair of customers some tickets and stood there, annoyed at the world for a bit. Then I heard a voice. “Are you … Jeffy McG?”

I looked up. It was the customers I had just served, a man and a woman. I confirmed I was, and the biggest smiles came over their faces. They told me they were big fans of my segment and thanked me — actually thanked me — for entertaining them and keeping them up to date on pop culture.

It was a pick-me-up at exactly the moment I needed it most. I thanked them profusely then, and do so again now. And at that point it occurred to me that even doing something as relatively meaningless as a pop culture segment on local radio can help brighten someone’s day just a little. Just like they had brightened mine.

So whenever someone asks me, “Are you Jeffy McG?” these days, my smile is very genuine. And I happily respond, “Yes. Yes I am. Could I get some barbecue sauce for those nuggets?”

Jeff McGinnis is pop culture editor of Toledo Free Press. He can be reached at PopGoesJeff@gmail.com or on Twitter at @jeffmac813.

Kelly: Moving on … and on

his week has been filled with a lot of emotion. I really appreciate all the messages I’ve gotten from former listeners of my show since my departure. One in particular reminded me how I could turn this bad luck into a lesson for my kids.

Sid Kelly, After the Rush

I was getting out of my 3-year-old’s bed after she finally fell asleep for the night, when my phone notified me of a Facebook message. It was from a former listener named Angi. After she stated her displeasure over my departure, she offered me a job. Not a job in radio, but a job as a loan officer. Through listening to the show, Angi knew that I had no experience or desire to work in that field, but as someone that cared about my well-being, she wanted to extend the offer just in case I was in need.

I was very moved by the offer, and even though it was awesome, I had to decline. Here’s why.

When I was growing up, I would get home from school and my mother would be there, usually getting ready to leave for work as a waitress. She always had a look of disappointment on her face, and quite often would throw out comments like, “I have to go into that rat hole again.” I remember quite vividly how much my mother hated her job.

I remember asking her why she didn’t do something else and she always told me it was because she didn’t do well in school, and she wasn’t that smart. Those excuses didn’t last too long, because I soon found out that my mother was too afraid to fail at whatever she would try, so she wouldn’t try anything new. She left me with the horrible message, “You can’t fail at something if you never try.” How sad.

I promised I would find whatever passions I had and pursue those as my career. I figured that if I did something that moved me, I would never really go to “work.” We’ve all heard the old saying, “Do something you love for a living and you’ll never work a day in your life.” Well, that was my plan.

I knew that I loved planes and anything that had anything to do with them so I put that on my list. I also loved sports, and loved anything that had to do with music production. To make a very long story short, my enlistment in the Navy to become a pilot and my career as a professional beach volleyball player were both cut short because of injuries. Again I looked to my list and found music.

I entered college (again) for music production. I wanted to remix and arrange music. In the process of doing that I found radio, and it matched my personality so well I fell in love. Being a radio host was now the new thing I wanted to do … and it only took three other careers before I found the one I would settle on. Are you reading, Mom?

Radio is something that you have to love to do it. Every time I would get new interns, I would tell them that they should only do this if they love it. The industry is so hurtful that if you don’t have a thick skin and a passion for it, it will spit you out and laugh as it’s happening.

Two weeks ago I was hurt by the industry again, and this time it hurt my family pretty badly. I moved my family to a new city, fought to make my way onto a show and earned my spot. I was promised longevity yet was left jobless. I should run. But I won’t.

I would rather go through what I’m going through right now than live the life my mother lived. I am not afraid to fail. I am not afraid to try new things that could lead to my failing, either. I would much rather chase what I love and fail than live a life filled with misery. That is a lesson I really believe my children need to learn by example.

I also want to make it clear that if radio turns out to be something I can’t do anymore because there’s an issue providing for my family, then it is I who will end the relationship. Nothing is more important than your family, and you always do what you have to for them. If I have to leave radio behind, then I’ll have to teach my kids the lesson about how you always need a backup plan in case your first one fails.

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THE MORNING RUSH

Kelly: Appreciating when the students teach the teachers

Family is one of the most important and difficult things you’ll ever experience in life. It is something I have learned to appreciate more and more as I’ve gotten older. I’ve learned many lessons about its importance but I never thought during my life, my own children would teach me some of the most important lessons.

On Feb. 10, I decided to take my 5-year-old daughter to PizzaPapalis to get some pizza. They were open on a Monday, which they usually aren’t, to raise money for the families of the two Toledo firefighters who were killed in a fire — Pvts. James Dickman and Stephen Machcinski. I thought it would be a good idea to take her because there was a lesson about helping others that I needed to expose her to.

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Any time I get alone with my kids, I love to talk to them. During our ride to the restaurant she said to me, “Daddy, we need to spend more time together. Just me and you — nobody else.”

I have to be honest, when I heard that, it kind of tore me up.

I know that my job takes up a lot of my time, and when you add to that the fact that I have two other little kids (3 years and 7 months), a wife and a new puppy, it doesn’t leave me a lot of one-on-one time with any of them.

I’ve always had a goal to be hands-on as a dad. Meaning, I didn’t want to be the kind of dad who didn’t show up to their kids’ events, or didn’t spend time with them. I wanted (and want) to be the kind of father who has a great, close relationship with his kids. And as I heard my daughter telling me she felt like she didn’t get enough time with me, I saw that goal receding into the distance. I had to stop it.

My daughter — at 5 — just taught me that no matter how busy life is, you need to make time for your kids individually. Wow.

This wasn’t a new lesson for me, but what was new was that the message was coming from my daughter, not me.

Don’t get me wrong, I’ve spent alone time with my kids, but lately that time has been more shared than individual. Apparently, the decision to do that carried more weight than I had thought.

After speaking with my wife, I came up with a plan. I told my oldest daughter that one day next week I would pick her up from school and we would spend the rest of the day together. We would go wherever she wanted, and after that we would eat together — without anyone else.

Immediately I saw her perk up and get excited. She started getting giddy with me and acting like we were best friends. I was overjoyed.

After I had that talk with my oldest, I told my youngest daughter that I would spend a day with her all alone, too. I started making daddy-daughter plans.

As a parent I think it’s really important to take time out to listen to your children and really pay attention to their behavior. Once you do that, you can figure out what’s really going on with them.

Maybe they’re not eating, not playing as much or getting in trouble more than usual. It may be that they’re doing those things just to get your attention. If my psychology degree has taught me anything it’s that people will do just about anything to get attention from other people. When you add the competitive environment of siblings in a family, you’ve got the perfect recipe for abnormal behavior.

All of this can be fixed just by slowing down and paying attention. Hopefully, if you’ve not let too much time go by, your kids can tell you how to fix things — like my daughter did. If not, you’ll have to do some digging. Whichever way you discover the problem, my point is never stop trying.

It’s so easy to give up and not try when you’re overtired and your kids want to play. Don’t. That’s where you’re going to get yourself into trouble. If you want great kids you’re going to have to put in the effort, just like everything else worth obtaining in life.

Trust me, I know firsthand that being a parent and having a job is a really hard thing to do. But whatever you do in life, don’t ever discount the fact that your very own family could hold the answer to the problem you’re having with them. All you have to do is be willing to listen, and be someone they feel comfortable talking to. If you have those down, you should be

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THE MORNING RUSH

Kelly: Nothing funny about Bieber’s DUI

The weather was anything but awesome last week. While that topic took a front seat on “The Morning Rush,” it took the arrest of a celebrity to break up the monotony of bad weather. Of course I’m talking about Justin Bieber’s run-in with the Miami Beach Police. Here’s how this whole thing played out behind-the-scenes.

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During a commercial break in the middle of Thursday’s show, Sara Hegarty shouted, “Breaking news, Justin Bieber was just arrested.”

We all jumped online to learn the details, and they were impressive.

To make a long story short, Bieber was arrested for DUI, resisting arrest without violence and driving on an expired license. We learned that police alleged that Bieber and his friend (singer Khalil) were drag racing through a residential neighborhood in Miami. The police claimed they were driving at speeds in excess of 50 mph in a 30 mph zone. As far as our audience was concerned, this was news that wasn’t really shocking. After all, this is the guy that police served a search warrant on because he allegedly caused thousands of dollars of damage by throwing eggs at his neighbor’s house.

As usual, whenever we get breaking news, we post it on our Facebook page and allow everyone to comment on it. The comments flew in and ranged from “send him back to Canada” to “loser.”

One of the things we noticed was the large number of teenaged kids outside the jail holding signs that read “Free Bieber,” and posts to Twitter that were more ridiculous, such as “all he did was drive drunk, why is he in hand-cuffs?”

One of the reasons this story became such a huge monster was because of how far Bieber has fallen from where he was. Added to the fall from perfection is the fact that he’s a role model for kids. Like it or not, it’s true. And to see signs questioning the legitimacy of his arrest for DUI really scared me.

I don’t like seeing anyone trivialize driving under the influence, regardless of their age. I’ve had very close friends killed by drunk drivers, and the subject matter is rather close to me. To think that there are people out there that still don’t understand how serious it is to operate a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or other drugs is crazy.

Now that all the breaking news has calmed down, we’re hearing that Bieber actually blew a .011 and then again a .014. Those are both below the “zero tolerance” threshold Florida has for drivers younger than 21 (which is .02). Still, Bieber admitted to smoking pot and taking prescription drugs, both of which can impair your ability to drive. So, even if you’re upset he got a DUI for blowing under the legal limit, you need to know that DUI counts for drugs, too — not just alcohol.

There’s also some evidence being released that Bieber may not have been speeding in the first place. That’s making people question why Bieber was pulled over. Of course, that’s fueling rumors that there was a conspiracy to arrest Bieber.

Let’s not lose sight on the real issue(s) here. There’s still a 19-year-old kid that got behind the wheel while under the influence of drugs, and failed to comply with the police when pulled over. Those facts mean he endangered the lives of innocent people, all because he felt like he could. This isn’t OK.

Many of the problems Bieber is facing are due to his lack of discipline and parental supervision. But as a parent, you can use this unfortunate situation to discuss some important issues with your own kids. Issues like deciding to get behind the wheel of a vehicle after choosing to take drugs and/or alcohol. These are serious choices that need to be discussed with our kids so we can make sure they’re not standing outside a courthouse holding a sign that places no blame on someone for putting others’ lives in danger.

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Judgment calls

Parents often say there is no manual for raising children, but there certainly should be a pool of common-sense standards we can agree on. A few incidents I witnessed during recent holiday activities have made me question even that low expectation.

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I do not mind taking my daily exercise walk in the cold, but the slightest sign of ice will chase me inside. While walking laps at Franklin Park Mall on Dec. 5, as I rounded the corner of the Macy’s entrance where the Santa Claus village is set up, I saw a woman walking with a little boy probably just under 4 years old. Santa called out, “Merry Christmas!” to him and the boy tugged the woman’s hand, did an antsy little dance/shuffle and said, “Mommy, Santa says hi!”

The woman tugged him away brusquely and said, for all to hear, “You ain’t seein’ no Santa. Santa ain’t even real.”

I could not see the boy’s face but his entire body fell still and shrunk into itself. The woman did not slow down and needed to pull the boy in her wake. He turned to look at Santa over his shoulder, his face impassive, his eyes confused and searching.

A number of us witnessed the moment but none of us said or did anything, a temporary prudence indicative of a permanent cowardice.

I posted the story to Facebook, which I am obligated to do under federal law, and followed the resulting teapot tempest for a few days. Most posters understood my shock and dismay at the ugliness of the scene, but more than a few sought to rationalize or justify the woman’s behavior. Their main arguments were that maybe the woman either doesn’t observe Christmas, — or more specifically doesn’t follow the holiday’s more commercial traditions — or is too poor to indulge her children in Christmas and therefore was just keeping it real, as the kids say.

I admit to instantly judging and convicting the woman of being a terrible parent and miserable human being. It does not matter to me what her qualifiers for being so brusque were. Let’s say she was horribly traumatized by Santa as a child, has lost several family members to a Santa Claus-themed serial killer and is so destitute that the mere thought of Santa and the presents she can’t afford for her children inspire heartbreaking desperation and irrational emotions. None of that is an excuse for publicly berating a child, attempting to yank his arm out of its socket and attacking the concept of Santa Claus in front of several other families and kids.

It goes beyond rude into abusive on a number of levels, and there is no explanation she could offer that would dissuade me from convicting her of being a bad parent. If she acts that way in public, who knows how she parents in private?

Two days later, we took our kids to see the Lights Before Christmas at the Toledo Zoo. It was in the mid-20s, so we layered the kids’ clothes and made sure they had their warmest hats, gloves and coats. That’s not superhuman parenting; that’s common sense. So I was amazed at how many people were marching around in the cold like those idiots who jump into freezing lakes in January.

If you are an adult and choose to walk around in freezing weather with your head, ears, hands and whatevers exposed to the bitter cold — well, OK, take your chances. But we saw scores of people walking around with their kids clearly not dressed properly for the weather. I am not suggesting that every mom and dad drop by the Coach store on their way to pick up their daily fresh Beluga caviar to buy mink-lined hats and gloves, but how about slipping into Big Lots or Kmart to get the basics? The Salvation Army and Goodwill stores are stocked with winter clothes. Some of the kids we saw at the lights exhibit had nothing on their heads or hands; I know we’re not living in Anchorage, but — spoiler alert — it gets freakin’ cold in Northwest Ohio. Let’s prep our children for the cold temperatures, OK?

On Dec. 8, a guest invited us to bring our two boys to the Huntington Center for the latest incarnation of Disney on Ice. Being a Disney enterprise, there were hundreds of plastic lighty-spinny things for sale, in the shape of Ariel, Mickey Mouse, Peter Pan and their pals. I am not a retail expert, so I cannot say if $15 baseball caps, $20 pressboard framed photos and $22 programs are overpriced, but it was made clear to our 7- and 5-year-old boys that with Christmas just a few weeks away, they weren’t going to be given money to buy anything from the souvenir booths. They did want to look, and we let them; while a few things caught their eyes, as they are designed to do, they walked away with a few more ideas for their Santa lists but more excited about getting to our seats.

Not so much for a little princess who wanted a Barbie-size Tinkerbell doll that went for $26. She was probably 5 or 6 and was stamping her feet, pinwheeling her arms and demanding her mom and dad buy the doll. Perhaps the child had developmental or mental challenges not apparent to a layman like me, but she seemed fairly articulate, just in the throes of a hissy fit. You can tear up my Father of the Year nomination, but if one of our boys had acted that way, not only would they have left the merch booth empty-handed, there is a strong possibility we would have left the arena and they would have missed the show as a consequence of their behavior. But the little princess’ mom and dad not only bought the Tinkerbell doll, they bought a matching Ariel doll and presented them to her with the broken reluctance of a caveman couple proffering a goat to an angry moon god. The princess, temporarily mollified, hugged her boxed treasures and started announcing her intention to get cotton candy.

Casting judgment with little information can be dangerous, but God help that little girl’s future if her parents fail to get a handle on her tantrum-driven behavior.

There is no absolute right way to raise kids, but there are plenty of wrong ways, in my judgment.

Michael S. Miller is editor in chief of Toledo Free Press and Toledo Free Press Star and news director for 1370 WSPD. Email him at mmiller@

toledofreepress.com.

Postscript: The entire weekend wasn’t full of bad examples. At the Dec. 7 Toy-A-Thon at Franklin Park Mall, the radio personalities from 92.5 KISS FM and 101.5 The River broadcast for eight hours to collect toys for needy kids. We had our boys pick some new, unwrapped toys to donate, and explained to them how blessed they are. It was gratifying to see scores of families bringing their kids to the event to teach them the importance of recognizing their blessings and in engaging in community philanthropy. As Sid Kelly from “The Morning Rush” writes in this week’s TFP Star, “I am proud of you Toledo. Every year you go out of your way and give to others who don’t have anything. I see you stand in line with your kids, fight the crowds and drop off a gift. You make sure your kids see you do that, and for that I am grateful.”

Kelly: Grateful that Toledo gives back

It’s no surprise to you that the holidays are upon us. We’ve tried to do our part on “The Morning Rush” to remind everyone of what is most important during this time … giving back.

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For the last 28 years we’ve done our Toy-A-Thon, where we collect new, unwrapped toys and cash for the Salvation Army. On Dec. 7, we collected more than 2,200 toys and an unofficial amount of money.

While I was broadcasting from the Franklin Park Mall, I saw a large number of parents taking the opportunity to explain to their children what we were doing. Some of the children got it … some did not. One thing it did do to me was make me thankful that there are parents out there still teaching this important lesson.

I grew up in a very modest home. I had two older brothers and an older sister. My father had a decent job, and my mom worked as a waitress. I can easily say that we did not have the finer things in life. I always had clothes on my back (albeit hand-me-downs), food in my stomach and a roof over my head. Even though I thought I had it hard, my parents did a good job teaching me that others had it worse.

It’s that lesson that I, as a father, am trying to pass on to my kids.

I spoke with a woman who had volunteered her children to help take toys from people and stack them during our Toy-a-thon. Her children were 11, 10 and 9. When I went over to meet them, I learned that when they heard their mom had signed them up to help with our Toy-A-Thon, they weren’t happy. They were mad their mom had taken one of their days off from school and made them stack toys that they were never going to get. But I watched them. I saw all three of them take toys from people and put them on the table. I watched them speak to other little kids and other volunteers. I actually noticed something amazing: I saw them get it. I saw the actual moment they understood exactly what was happening, and it was great.

I went over to meet their mom and tell her how impressed I was that she took the time to teach her kids about giving back. Even though her kids didn’t have every electronic gadget on the market, the best shoes or nicest clothes, their mom taught them that some kids don’t have anything. Some kids don’t even get one toy for Christmas. But … because they took time out on their day off from school, some less-fortunate kids are going to get something for Christmas. As far as I’m concerned, that’s one of the greatest gifts we as parents can give to our kids.

I saw their mom well up with pride, and rightfully so! She should be proud to pass on one of the most important lessons we can teach our children.

Like it or not, we live in a world where bad things happen and no one can offer an explanation as to why. We see things on the news that make us question the good in people. If you think your kids don’t see that as well, you’re wrong. Do them and the rest of the world a favor. Take some time out of your day and teach them how to give back. You may be surprised by how unbelievable it feels.

I am proud of you, Toledo. Every year you go out of your way and give to others who don’t have anything. I see you stand in line with your kids, fight the crowds and drop off a gift.

This entry was posted
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THE MORNING RUSH

Kelly: Working for the American Dream

Being the host of a morning show, one of the questions I get asked a lot is how we come up with the topics we discuss. Some of it is based on the things I overhear in public, but the majority of the ideas come from what happens in my everyday life. One of those everyday moments happened to me recently.

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When we’re growing up, we’re taught to chase the American Dream. That is, basically, to get a job, get married, have kids and live happily ever after. I have no problem with getting a good job or getting married with kids. It’s the “happily ever after” part that I’m having a conflict with. I have reached every aspect of the so-called American Dream. I have a good job, three kids and a beautiful wife. Yet I find myself asking, “When is the happily ever after part going to start?”

We’re basically promised in the American Dream that all we have to do is achieve the aforementioned goals and happiness will be bestowed upon us. Well, I hate to be the one to tell you this, but that’s nonsense. The truth is, your happily ever after only comes when you work for it, after getting what you worked so hard to get.

Think about this for a second.

To get a good job, you probably went to college and put in a lot of work. You worked your way up from the bottom and finally landed the job. Counting kindergarten, we’re talking 17 years of schooling and three or four years of working to get to the right spot in your chosen profession. That’s 21 years of work getting one part of your American Dream.

For your significant other, you undoubtedly put in time learning how to be comfortable with yourself and dating multiple people before finally settling down. Starting at your average age of dating (15), and ending at the average age to get married (28), that’s 13 years of work.

For your 2.5 kids, well, for some of us it takes longer than others. Without getting into a debate, let’s say they are five years of work.

Congratulations. You’ve accomplished all there is in life. You’ll now be happy for the rest of your life.

What makes you think that after all the work you put in to get that job, the husband or wife, and those beautiful kids that you’re done? The “work” hasn’t even set in. This is the beginning.

I really believe that this is one of the biggest problems plaguing us as a society. We tend to think that if we work hard to get something we want, once we get it, we don’t have to work hard anymore. No. This is why the things you’ve worked so hard to get haven’t lasted. We need to start teaching our kids — and ourselves — that we need to work even harder once we get what we want out of life.

We need to continue to impress our boss by coming up with unique ideas. We need to show that without us, they’re lost. We need to be desired by our significant other. We need to impress them by showing them how much we need them. We need to constantly show that we love them. We need to be as excited to see our kids as we were the first time we saw them. We need to show them the love and patience we promised we’d show them when they were first born.

Once people start to realize that a goal isn’t accomplished just because you achieved it and it’s something that needs to be pursued forever, we’ll be better people. We’ll have jobs we don’t lose to outsourcing, spouses who don’t leave for lack of attention and kids who grow up knowing that we love them more than life itself. Isn’t that the American Dream?

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STAR

Kelly: Rodney’s 25 random acts of kindness

I’ve heard that your personality is a mixture of the five people closest to you that you hang out with. These could be your parents, friends at school or work or just people that you spend your time with. I think you should choose these people wisely.

Sid Kelly

I was recently approached by Rodney — one of our interns on “The Morning Rush” — with a challenge he wanted to talk about on the air. He said that since he would be turning 25 this past Saturday, he didn’t want to celebrate his birthday until he completed a list of “25 acts of kindness.” I was intrigued, so I asked him to elaborate on-air.

Rodney told our audience that there are a lot of people putting down the city and taking it for granted, and being the guy he is (which is really awesome), he wasn’t going to let that continue.

He put together — and asked our audience for ideas about 25 things he could do that would be considered kind.

The list included the simple “Tell someone to have a good day when they look like they’re in need,” to the surprising “Tape a free Redbox movie rental to the machine for someone.”

There weren’t really many rules to Rodney’s challenge; just complete all 25 acts before his birthday and then he’d be able to celebrate it. He also wanted an opportunity to be on the air for an entire show for the first time since he’s been with us.

We made the deal and let him go on his way.

As Rodney’s challenge continued, it appeared that he was making a difference — albeit a small one.

Little kids’ faces lit up when they went up to Sandy, the horse at Meijer and some kind person (Rodney) had left a pile of pennies for them to ride. Another co-worker moaned after a hard night’s work when he realized it had snowed, only to turn around and smile because Rodney had cleaned the snow off his car for him.

Those are just a fewof the 25 acts of kindness brought on the city by Rodney.

My point to this story is that no matter how small of a difference you’re making, you need to realize that you’re making a difference.

That matters.

You don’t have to move millions of homeless people into mansions and provide their families with jobs and their kids an education to the best college in the world. Lending a simple hand to a complete stranger is really where it’s all at.

Rodney did complete his mission, and he will get to sit in and co-host an entire show with us. But that’s not his prize. His prize is the fact that he showed that all you have to do is give a little bit of yourself to make life a little better for someone else. When you start the ball rolling there really is no stopping it.

Rodney is in my group of five people I hang around the most, and I can only hope that the statement I made at the beginning of my column is true.

Mayor Mike Bell moved Halloween trick-or-treating … and we at “The Morning Rush” may have had an influence on that. Because of that, the show has been congratulated … and blamed.

While closing our show at 9:54 a.m. Oct. 30, Program Director Eric Chase asked to come on the show. While live on the air, he said, “You guys should try to get trick-or-treat moved! You’re ‘The Morning Rush’ for God’s sake. If the people don’t want to trick-or-treat on Halloween because of the weather, get it done.”

This all sprung from the unbelievable number of comments that were made on our Facebook page in response to the following question: Should Toledo move trick-or-treating because of the predicted bad weather?

We already knew how the city felt based on our early segment on the show, and the forecast was looking more like a tropical storm than a simple October shower. If that’s what people wanted, we felt we should do it. So we did.

It was 10:06 a.m. and we are usually off the air by then, but we pledged to stay on until we could get the mayor on the show to discuss why he refused to move trick-or-treating to a safer day.

While taking phone calls from at least 20 people, we had Phillipe, our call screener, running around behind-the-scenes trying to get either Mayor Mike Bell or Safety Director Shirley Green on the phone with us.

Meanwhile, we continued to get calls from listeners telling us on-air that they called Green’s office and were hung up on. Others said they were told the police for Thursday night had already been notified they were working and that they would not move trick-or-treating … no matter what.

After approximately 45 minutes, and in the middle of reading comments on our Facebook page, our caller screen read, “D. Michael Collins is on the Hot Line.” Nice.

If there was any way to convince the mayor to stop by the show or call in, it would be to air the comments of the guy running against him. Instantly we shifted gears and asked Collins what he would do if he were mayor.

“It’s really an easy decision guys, the thing to do would be to move trick-or-treat to this weekend, and to ensure the safety of our children,” he said.

Perfect! During our interview with Collins, I received a message that read, “Mayor Bell will be here in 2 minutes.”

All I remember thinking is, “It’s working.”

Two minutes later, Bell, dressed in blue jeans and that black leather motorcycle jacket he makes his way around town in, showed up with Green in tow.

After each of us presented our points, the mayor said, “Unless this storm is a monster, and it’s gotta be a monster, we are not moving trick-or-treat.”

Green said the last time the city decided to move Halloween, it received a ton of complaints and vowed never to do that again.

After a 17-minute back-and-forth with the mayor, it was pretty obvious that no matter what we told him, he wasn’t moving trick-or-treating.

It was after that statement that we announced that we would host our own event, “Trunk or Treat,” for kids who might not get the chance to get some candy. We invited listeners to our station on Saturday to help us give out candy to kids dressed in costumes. We also had a costume contest that day; it was an amazing success!

Our story was picked up by other local news stations and they too put pressure on Bell’s staff. During the Toledo Free Press/WTOL mayoral debate Oct. 30, our issue was brought up. It had obviously gained some momentum.

Bell issued a statement late Oct. 30 that he and a group of city planners from surrounding communities would make the decision and pass it along to the public at noon on Halloween, Oct. 31.

Around noon, Bell’s office released this news release: “After a collaborative meeting between mayors, managers and police chiefs, several area communities are rescheduling Trick-or-Treat hours according to the following schedule.

“The cities of Oregon, Perrysburg and Toledo and the Village of Ottawa Hills will host trick-or-treat from 6-8 p.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3 2013.

“The City of Sylvania and Sylvania Township will host trick-or-treat from 6-7:30 p.m. on Sunday, November 3, 2013.

“The City of Bowling Green will host trick-or-treat from 6:30-8 p.m. on Sunday, November 3, 2013.”

It was exactly what we were after. But the fallout online was, um, entertaining.

Not everyone was happy

Some of the posts from our station and personal Facebook and Twitter pages: “Can you have the mayor move Christmas? I heard it’s going to be cold?” “Hey Sid, thanks for ruining Halloween!”

Needless to say, not everyone was happy.

And that’s OK!

The fact that trick-or-treating was moved did not ruin Halloween. It may have changed your plans, but everything was OK. It was, right?

The whole show heard this argument from parents: “When I was a kid we went out in rain, snow and worse.” Yeah, you may have, but did you go out in 45 mph winds? You did? Wow, I’m sure that was a really fun and bountiful Halloween (I did when I was a kid, and the loot was anything but bountiful).

Social media and broadcast media are a lot different now than they were when you were a kid. Back then the government/decision-makers didn’t have the ability to email a radio station or tag a residence in a countywide alert system. If they had, you probably wouldn’t have that awesome memory of walking around trick-or-treating in horrible weather.

Here’s a comment from my Facebook page that explains the other argument people had: “Nice job guys, thanks for cancelling Halloween! It’s 6:04 P.M. and it’s not even raining. So there’s a little wind, but it’s nothing! Thanks for ruining Halloween! You should be ashamed of yourselves.”

Ruining Halloween? Hardly. That argument is based on hindsight. It would be awesome to be able to look into the past and make a different decision based on the new facts you’ve gathered. But hindsight isn’t foresight. We have to make decisions based on what we know right now.

At the time the mayor made the decision, the winds were forecast to gust to 45 mph with heavy rain and lightning. It was with that knowledge that he and other mayors and local officials moved trick-or-treating. Everyone knows that life would be so much easier if we could make decisions based on hindsight. But we can’t.

I was really disappointed by the behavior of some people via social media. I witnessed adults calling each other names and acting like the children this was really all about. I often find it funny to see what will drag an adult into name-calling. The sad thing is that it didn’t take long for the gloves to come off.

That’s too bad.

Do yourself a favor and read back your posts as if you were one of the individuals who popped off at others online.

I try really hard to learn something every time we have such a controversial topic on the show. This time I learned that we the people of Toledo still have the power to change we don’t like. All you have to do is take a stand and make enough noise to get the right person’s attention. Although in the end, all everyone did was get the mayor to move an event because it was the right thing to do. Pretty cool what happens when people stick together.

For those of you who aren’t familiar with me, please allow me to give you some background.

Although I’ve lived in Ohio for many years, I am not originally from here. I was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pa. I joined the U.S. Navy right out of high school and entered a program to train to become a Naval aviator. In the middle of my enlistment, I was medically disqualified from the Navy and had to go to college.

While in college I played beach volleyball, and it was because of that experience I endured a severe injury to my back that forced me from the sport I dearly loved.

Before hurting my back while still in college, I saw a radio station tent up in the college parking lot. I walked over and signed up to be an intern.

That’s where it started.

I began as a promotional intern. In radio that is the lowest of the food chain. We were overworked, never paid and looked down on by everyone; except by people who wanted to get into radio. To them, we were royalty.

And I loved it.

I worked really hard as an intern and during a promotional appearance at a football game I was asked by the boss of the radio station to call in and tell them what we were doing. It would be my first time on the air, and I was so scared I couldn’t tell you what I talked about. Whatever it was, it was good enough to get noticed. From there I was asked to produce the night show, then to produce the morning show, and then off to my first job. From the day I entered the world of radio as an intern to the time I got my first job took three months, my first show that was all my own wouldn’t come for another 16 months.

That was pretty awesome.

Radio has brought me to live in a lot of cities; I’ve experienced so much of this country and looking back, it’s truly amazing. I’ve lived in (in order) Wilkes-Barre, Charleston, W.Va., Roanoke, Va., St. Louis, Wichita, Kan., Mobile, Ala., Richmond, Va., and here in Toledo. That’s eight cities and seven states in 17 years!

Radio also introduced me to my wife, Emily.

Emily and I met when I worked in St. Louis as the night jock. After being really impressed with how organized and smart she was, I asked her to produce my show. Both she and I will say to this day — and it is true — that we were just friends while working there. We didn’t start dating until after I left St. Louis. That was 2003.

Emily worked with me as my co-host on my morning show at two other stations before we realized that we couldn’t work together. We had to decide on either a work or personal relationship.

We both know how that turned out.

After two kids and seven years, Emily and I were married in Grand Rapids, Ohio. We have since added a boy to the two girls we already had and a new puppy.

This all brings me to where I am now, host of “The Morning Rush” on KISS FM. I’m sure you’re familiar with the rest of the show: Sara Hegarty, Demetrius Nicodemus (a former Toledo Free Press Star cover subject himself), Meaghan Mick and a ton of interns. The show, as it is now, has been together since April 2011.

We talk about things that that are going on in pop culture, our lives, your lives and everything in between. This brings me full-circle to the point of my column.

Each week in a Toledo Free Press Star column, I plan on discussing my life and offering a behind-the-scenes look at what we talk about on the air.

Now that we’ve been introduced, I hope to see you next week and every morning on 92.5 KISS FM.

Friday at The Farr: Klinger’s Club to debut on 14th hole

What do you get when you mix the fun, festive atmosphere of Mud Hens’ Opening Day with a professional golf tournament?

You get “Friday at The Farr,” the 14th hole at the 2012 Jamie Farr Toledo Classic presented by Kroger, Owens Corning and O-I at Highland Meadows Golf Club in Sylvania.

On Aug. 10, the local Ladies Professional Golf Association (LPGA) tournament will introduce a new “party atmosphere” to its 14th hole in imitation of the famed par-3 16th hole at the Professional Golfers’ Association of America (PGA) Waste Management Phoenix Open at Tournament Players Club Scottsdale. That tournament takes place in Arizona in February each year.

The hole will be called “Klinger’s Club,” after Toledo native Jamie Farr’s character on the television show “M*A*S*H,” and will be part of the Friday at the Farr festivities, which begin at 1 p.m. Aug. 10.

“We want it to be kind of like … (Mud Hens) Opening Day, where if the game is at three or even if it’s at five, people are Downtown partying in the streets at 12 o’clock,” said Stephen Vasquez, membership development manager at the Toledo Chamber of Commerce and one of the two event organizers. “It’s kind of turned into a Downtown Toledo holiday.”

The par-3 hole will feature bleacher seating for approximately 400 people, an electronic scoreboard and a large concession stand nearby with food and beverages. T-shirts will be distributed to create a “white-out,” like those at basketball and football games.

Lauren O'Neill is Miss Klinger's Club 2012.

Fans are encouraged to cheer, chant and sing at the golfers, like fans at the Waste Management (WM) Phoenix Open do, Vasquez said. According to the Klinger’s Club’s Facebook page, the goal is to make the 14th hole the “loudest and most exciting hole on the LPGA tour.”

Vasquez said “cheerleaders” and “cheat sheets” of player information are in the works to help make this happen.

“If you watch the Phoenix Open, [the fans] are really quiet, but as soon as the ball is hit, they scream like crazy,” Vasquez said. “We’re going to encourage cheering.”

Admission to Klinger’s Club is included in admission price. Daily tickets start at $15 and are available at the gate or Shawn’s Irish Tavern, which is also providing shuttle service. Weekly tickets are $50 and are available at local Kroger stores. Kids 17 and younger get in free with an adult. More ticket information is available online at the web site www.jamiefarrtoledoclassic.com.

Once the last golfer finishes her round at approximately 7 p.m. Aug. 10, the local band Nine Lives will play at the public pavilion as a grand finale to Friday at the Farr. Nine Lives is a cover band that plays everything from Journey to Eminem to The Temptations, said Franz Gilis, the other co-organizer of Klinger’s Club.

Vasquez said Klinger’s Club is an event that many people, not just traditional golf fans, can enjoy.

“If you don’t even like golf, who cares? Just come to party,” Vasquez said.

Toledo exposure

There were many motives behind the Klinger’s Club initiative, including simply offering a good time for fans and golfers alike, Vasquez said.

“It’s one of those things where [the tournament] is not quite at the level of (Mud Hens) Opening Day yet,” Vasquez said. “For most people, the Jamie Farr is … like ‘If I get tickets, I’ll go,’ but we want it to be ‘I’m going to the Jamie Farr this year!’”

The tournament’s net proceeds go to 10 area children’s charities, said Judd Silverman, tournament chairman for 27 years.

“It’s for a good cause,” Silverman said. “Since 1984, the Jamie Farr has donated $7.4 million to more than 100 Northwest Ohio and southeast Michigan children’s charities.”

Silverman said tournament organizers wanted to create a gathfranzering and networking spot for young business professionals and Vasquez and Gilis had the idea to model a hole after the WM Phoenix Open’s.

“What we’re trying to create is a special event for the business community to gather and have a great afternoon of watching golf, while also interacting with fellow business professionals from the area,” Silverman said. “The goal is to get the business community to take the afternoon off and come out and be a part of the hole’s festivities.”

Vasquez said a successful Friday at the Farr will mean more exposure for Toledo, which will help the area attract future events and sponsorships.

“It would be cool if we got a lot of people to come out to this,” Vasquez said. “Even if we increase Jamie Farr’s attendance by one or two thousand, all that stuff builds up and puts Toledo on the map … and shows we can really rally around an event and support it.”

Vasquez said this will show Toledo can support major sporting events and may even help give the area the opportunity to host higher-level events, like the PGA U.S. Open.

“Those events don’t just decide in October to come here in August. They’re planned a few years out,” Vasquez said. “There’s a lot of factors that go into that decision.”

Among the factors are city infrastructure, potential company sponsorships and a supportive fan base, Vasquez said.

Vasquez said Klinger’s Club will also promote the tournament, the LPGA and the sport of golf in the Toledo area, complementing an LPGA initiative to build its brand.

“Over the course of the last five or six years [the LPGA has been] trying to get its golfers out there more to build more of a brand, like a Tiger Woods or a Phil Mickelson,” Vasquez said. “Fans will then come out to LPGA events to follow their favorite golfer and not just to follow golf.”

Player participation

The WM Phoenix Open’s 16th hole has often been referred to as “a party where a golf tournament breaks out.”

However, the party began with humble beginnings.

Tom Altieri, 2013 WM Phoenix Open tournament chairman, said the Phoenix Open moved to Scottsdale in 1986, and the lively atmosphere developed naturally when fans, especially college students, started congregating by the hole and nearby beer stand.

In 1997, Tiger Woods hit a hole-in-one on the 16th, which Altieri said created an electric atmosphere that has grown into a vacation destination that attracts 16,000 people and the world’s top-tier performing artists. One hundred and fifty corporate skyboxes sell for $40,000 each, Altieri said.

What has made the WM Phoenix Open’s par-3 “party hole” so successful is the players’ willingness to embrace it, Altieri said.

“The players themselves have really embraced the energy and atmosphere of the hole and that has really helped it grow,” Altieri said. “In order for it to succeed the players have had to embrace it, and they have, … and they tend to do better on that hole.”

Altieri said players pass out merchandise to the crowd while it sings the fight songs of the golfers’ alma maters, for example. One golfer even encouraged noise from the crowd.

“We had one player who didn’t want quiet. He was egging the crowd on to make noise,” Altieri said. “The crowd obliged and it was pretty cool.”

Chris Erblich, an attorney from Phoenix who attended the WM Phoenix Open in 2005, said even though he is not a golf fan it was exciting for him to witness the events on the 16th hole.

“As soon as the ball is in the air, the crowd screams, or boos in the case of a bad shot. It’s a loud, party-time atmosphere,” Erblich said. “Some golfers think it’s great, while some have complained the expectation is unnerving, but it’s cool and fun and different.”

Altieri said other tournaments have asked about creating a similar experience he tells them that a controlled environment with communication to players is vital for a successful “party hole.” Altieri said he suggests talking to the LPGA and its players about the idea ahead of time.

“I wish there was a magic formula, but there’s not,” Altieri said. “We’ve worked hard to keep an energy … and make sure the fans understand that these are professional golfers out there trying to earn a living. Fans have to be respectful of the players.”

Vasquez said Klinger’s Club organizers plan on reaching out to golfers through Facebook, Twitter and other connections to let them know what’s coming and ask them to get involved.

Sponsors for the event include Nemsys, The Image Group, Wholehan Marketing and Shawn’s Irish Tavern. Media sponsors are Toledo Free Press, NBC24, 101.5 FM The River and 92.5 KISS FM.